books.google.com - There have been several attempts to trace the story of the spread of football from its pre-industrial origins to its codification in the association game in 1863, from whence it swept the British Isles before going on to conquer the world, but this is the first book to place the growth of the game firmly...http://books.google.com/books/about/Football.html?id=gaUqAAAAYAAJ&utm_source=gb-gplus-shareFootball

Football: a history of the world game

There have been several attempts to trace the story of the spread of football from its pre-industrial origins to its codification in the association game in 1863, from whence it swept the British Isles before going on to conquer the world, but this is the first book to place the growth of the game firmly in its social and cultural background. Murray is a skilled historian, as well as a football enthusiast; in this comprehensive history he covers old ground with a refreshing originality, presents new information with a revealing clarity, and combines illustrative anecdotes with incisive analysis. He presents the reader with a highly readable account of a complicated story that places the growth of the world's most popular game firmly in its cultural context.